[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 63309-63310]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-31245]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

50 CFR Part 648

[I.D. 112097E]


New England Fishery Management Council; Meeting

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.

ACTION: Public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold 
a 3-day public meeting to consider actions affecting New England 
fisheries in the exclusive economic zone.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 1997, at 10 
a.m., on Wednesday, December 10, 1997, at 8:30 a.m., and on Thursday, 
December 11, 1997, at 8:30 a.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Peabody Marriott, 8A 
Centennial Drive, Peabody, MA; telephone (978) 977-9700. Requests for 
special accommodations should be addressed to the New England Fishery 
Management Council, 5 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906-1097; telephone (781) 
231-0422.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul J. Howard, Executive Director, 
New England Fishery Management Council (781) 231-0422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Tuesday, December 9, 1997

    After introductions the Council meeting will begin with the 
Multispecies Monitoring Committee Annual Report. The presentation will 
include landings projections for the 1997 fishing year, target total 
allowable catches (TACs) for the 1998 fishing year, options for 
reaching or maintaining the rebuilding plan fishing mortality 
objectives for cod, haddock, and yellowtail flounder stocks, and the 
status of fisheries for pollock, redfish, winter flounder, witch 
flounder, American plaice, windowpane flounder, and white hake.
    Following the report, the Council's Groundfish Committee will 
discuss and seek approval of initial action on Framework Adjustment 25 
to the Northeast Multispecies Fishery Management Plan (FMP). The 
adjustment would include measures to meet the 1998 fishing year 
rebuilding plan objectives (based on the report of the Multispecies 
Monitoring Committee) through the use of any of the following 
measures--area closures, trip limits, adjustments to days-at-sea (DAS) 
or gear modifications. The framework adjustment would also include 
measures to adjust the opening date of the Cultivator Shoal Whiting 
Exempted Fishery, require a raised footrope trawl in the Small Mesh 
Area 2 Exempted Fishery, restrict or prohibit the use of 
``streetsweeper'' gear, and modify the regulations that now require 
vessel monitoring systems (VMS) on all individual DAS vessels. VMS 
options under consideration would include, but are not limited to, 
voluntary use of VMS, mandatory use only on vessels with DAS 
allocations over a specified level, or mandatory use only on vessels 
with specific violations. The framework may also prohibit fishing for 
regulated species in groundfish closed areas by vessels using exempted 
gears such as lobster pots, even when such vessels are fishing in the 
DAS program.

Wednesday, December 10, 1997

    If necessary, the Council will continue consideration of Framework 
Adjustment 25. The Overfishing Definition Review Panel will present a 
preliminary report on new overfishing definitions developed to comply 
with the Sustainable Fisheries Act. Species to be discussed include 
Atlantic sea scallops, Georges Bank yellowtail flounder, monkfish, 
Atlantic mackerel, and possibly others. Prior to addressing sea scallop 
issues there will be reports from the Scallop Advisory Panel and the 
Scallop Plan Development Team (PDT). The Scallop Committee will then 
recommend final measures to be included in Amendment 7 to the Scallop 
Fishery Management Plan. Currently, the proposal contains a program to 
allow consolidation of DAS and the use of closed area management. There 
will also be further consideration of Framework Adjustment 10, an 
action to modify the scallop DAS schedule following the third-year 
review of the DAS scallop effort reduction program. There will be a 
review of committee discussions on VMS regulations and measures to 
allow scallop vessels to fish in the areas closed for groundfish 
conservation. After reports from the Herring Advisory Panel and PDT, 
the Herring Committee will seek approval of proposed fishery management 
plan objectives, as well as the array of management measures to be 
discussed at public hearings. Measures may include vessel/dealer/
operator permits, spawning area closures, a target TAC, vessel size 
limits, prohibitions on directed mealing, area management, limits on 
fishing time, and possibly other measures.

Thursday, December 11, 1997

    The Monkfish Advisory Panel and the Monkfish PDT will report to the 
Council, followed by consideration and approval of monkfish measures 
for Amendment 9 to the Northeast Multispecies FMP. There may be a 
request to the Secretary of Commerce to implement interim management 
measures for the monkfish fishery. The afternoon session will begin 
with reports from the Council Chairman, Executive Director, NMFS 
Regional Administrator, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and Mid-
Atlantic Fishery Management Council liaisons, and representatives of 
the Coast Guard and the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission 
(ASMFC). There will be a briefing on the recent Habitat Advisory Panel 
meeting and progress on the development of essential fish habitat 
information. This will be followed by an update on revisions to draft 
Amendment 10 to the Atlantic Surf Clam and Ocean Quahog Fishery 
Management Plan to manage ocean quahogs in the Gulf of Maine.
    The Chairman of the Council's Lobster Committee will review the 
ASMFC's final fishery management plan for American lobster and discuss 
options to address any concerns with the plan. There also may be 
consideration of future management strategies, if necessary, to meet 
the requirements of the Sustainable Fisheries Act. The meeting will 
adjourn after the conclusion of any other outstanding Council business.
    Although other issues not contained in this agenda may come before 
this Council for discussion, in accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 
Fishery Conservation and Management Act, those issues may not be the 
subject of formal Council action during this meeting. Council actions 
will be restricted to those issues specifically listed in this notice.

[[Page 63310]]

Special Accommodations

    This meeting is physically accessible to people with disabilities. 
Requests for sign language interpretation or other auxiliary aids 
should be directed to Paul J. Howard (see ADDRESSES) at least 5 days 
prior to the meeting date.

    Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.

    Dated: November 21, 1997.
Gary C. Matlock,
Director, Office of Sustainable Fisheries, National Marine Fisheries 
Service.
[FR Doc. 97-31245 Filed 11-24-97; 3:18 pm]
BILLING CODE 3510-22-F